Major Neil Pullen
31 January 2001
aged 72
The obituary
below in black text appeared in Issue 96 of the B&C in
June 2001, based on notes made by Neil.
To complete the picture,
underneath, is an appreciation by Col Jonathan
Hall-Tipping
|
Maj Harold
Neil Pullen, aged 72, on 31 Jan 2001 in Hampshire. Born in 1928 and universally known as Neil, he first wore the Britannia cap-badge in 1945 at the Home Guard Stand-Down Parade in London. Commissioned 1948 into The Royal Norfolk Regt from intake 2 at RMAS, Neil was airlifted into Berlin to join the Regt. After marrying Pamela (known Regimentally as Screwball) in 1951 he served in Korea 1951-2 as IO, Coy 2IC and Mortar Pl Comd. (Pamela was amazed that Neil had largely written his own obituary and generously agreed that her nickname could be published here. Ed.) He continued in the latter role in Hong Kong 1952-3 before returning to UK to carry the Queen's Colour at The Coronation. (After Note Nov 01 - The late Maj Mike Gunton carried the Regimental Colour.) |
| After
undergoing a flying course Neil was seconded to the
Glider Pilot Regt and served with them during the
Malayan Emergency 1954-6, flying Austers, where he was
MiD for Target Marking. During this time over 60000
troops were in Malaya and Neil won the Individual Rifle
Championship as well as coaching the team which won the
Minor Units LMG Championship. Between 1957-9 he served with 1 RNorfolk in BAOR at Iserlohn as a Coy Comd, where he was listed in the 1959 Trooping of The Colour Programme to celebrate Almanza - see B&C 95 Dec 00 p N14. He then went to 1 West India Regt in Jamaica as Adjt until Independence, at which time he was responsible for combined CIVPOL and MILPOL Security. While serving on in The Jamaica Regt until 1962 Neil passed the Technical Staff College examination. At the same time he was offered a place on the Flying Instructor's course, which he accepted, so from 1962-6 he was an Instructor at the School of Army Aviation and a Fixed Wing Examiner. During this time Neil checked out, in Germany, the Col of The Regt for his 'wings'! Posted to the British Guiana Defence Force in 1968 he set up a Training Centre which catered for up to 1200 male and female NCOs and Offr Cdts. During the transition to Independence and the creation of Guyana, Neil was responsible for combined CIVPOL and MILPOL Security. He then initiated the introduction of aircraft and set up a Training School for instruction, language and servicing. Returning to the UK in 1968 he underwent helicopter conversion and formed the first operational sqn, 665, for the AAC. They were put to the test while still forming by being air-lifted to Malaysia and achieved 100% success on a Vietnam scenario exercise. His final posting in 1971 was to the VIP Flight at Topcliffe. Proud to have been seconded to a remarkable number of units, Neil never broke his link with the Norfolks. He listed his cap badges as: Queens (pre-Indian Army), Sandhurst, Royal Norfolk, East Anglian, Royal Anglian, Glider Pilot Regt, AAC, British Guiana, Guyana Defence Force, West India Regt and Jamaica Regt. His civilian qualifications list was almost as long: AMBIM, Assoc ITO, MCA, Dip Sm and MIISM. After Army Retirement in 1972 Neil worked variously in Hotel Management, the Retail Trade, as RAC Controller at Watford, running Executive Courses for the British Safety Council on Industrial Safety and as a volunteer Caseworker for SSAFA in Gosport and Fareham. Neil was a remarkable man. As Col John Hall-Tipping said: 'He really enjoyed his service in the Army, his close-knit family, his friends, and his life, and perhaps that is because "he did it his way". ' Neil was buried the day before he would have celebrated his 50th Wedding Anniversary. He is survived by his widow Pamela, daughters Monique and Mandy, grandsons Jolyon and Justin. JLR from notes by Neil and by Col Jonathan Hall-Tipping |
The Obituary above appeared in Issue
96, Jun 2001 'Britannia and Castle' |
| Neil Pullen's personal
signature tune could easily have been 'I Did It My Way'! He served in the army for some 26 years, but unlike many of his contemporaries who followed the normal upward momentum via regimental and staff postings, Neil decided that he would seek other opportunities. He joined up in 1946, just one year after the end of World War II, and during the next 20 years, there were opportunities galore for an enthusiastic, maverick young officer. On being returned as Prime Minister in 1951, Winston Churchill said that he did not intend to preside over the dissolution of the British Empire, but that is exactly what happened during his administration, and several others, which followed. Neil's personal service in this process saw him appointed as Adjutant of 1 West Indies Regiment in Jamaica, leading up to that island's independence in 1962, and later, setting-up a training centre and the establishment of a Flying Wing in British Guiana (Guyana) in the late 1960s. The basis for Neil to undertake these very demanding tasks was his superb personal skills as an infantry officer. He gained his initial experience as an Indian Army Officer Cadet at the Guards Depot at Caterham before being selected to join Intake 2 at Sandhurst in 1948. He was a member of the Sandhurst Shooting Team and achieved 9th place in the Army 100. Later in his career, he won the Individual Rifle Championship in Malaya. After commissioning, he joined 1 R Norfolk in Hubblerath and was in Berlin during the airlift. In 1950, the Bn was detailed to be part of the first reinforcement cycle of the Korean War. While the Bn was undergoing training in Crowborough for this assignment, Neil decided to get married - an action very much frowned upon at the time for officers under the age of 25, but nevertheless, fully in keeping with his maverick character. After service in Korea and Hong Kong, he took part in the Malayan Emergency between 1954-56, piloting light Auster aircraft in the Glider Pilot Regiment. It is probably true to say that apart from his wife Pamela, the love of his life was flying. He was awarded a very well-deserved MID for his services in Malaya for flying low over the jungle target-spotting for the RAF - a rather hazardous venture. He loved flying so much that he elected to forego a place at the Technical Staff College in order to become an instructor and fixed wing examiner at the School of Aviation. In 1968, during another secondment tour with the Army Air Corps, he converted to helicopters and commanded a flight of the first AAC helicopter operational squadron in Yorkshire. Although Neil served for only six of his 26 years with the regiment, as a platoon commander, a company 2IC and a company commander during three separate tours of regimental duty, he was extremely proud of his Norfolk heritage and continued to wear the regimental cap badge until he retired in 1972. He felt greatly honoured to have been selected to carry the Queen's Colour in The Royal Norfolk contingent when it marched through the streets of London in the Coronation parade. (Both recalled from The Far East, the late Mike Gunton carried the Regimental Colour.) Neil is remembered by many as a wonderful raconteur, the life of any party, an outstanding airman, a good infantry leader, and a very kind and generous man. He really enjoyed his service in the army, his close-knit family, his friends, and his life, and perhaps that is because 'he did it his way'. Neil Pullen is survived by his wife Pamela, his daughters Monique and Mandi, and two grandsons. Col Jonathan Hall-Tipping |
| The webmaster doesn't have a digitised version of 'I Did It My Way' but maybe this alternative will suffice as a web tribute to Neil - a man in his own mould, one this writer, once described as a 'free spirit', wished he had known - Oh Susannah! |
| On a different theme, try this: Ode to the 6th Bn |
B&C Norfolk Editor